A Little Pain
by ImStillSleeping
Summary: Zoro just wants to be there for his captain. This is something I felt like writing after watching an episode of the Water 7 arc (spoilers for that arc)


**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece! **

**Okay I just finished watching the episode where Usopp leaves and it left my heat-strings broken... so... I HAD TO WRITE ABOUT IT TO CURE THE ACHING IN MY HEART! Feel my feels? **

**Anywhale, towards the end I kind of... y'know... go off course to add some ZoLu in there hehe... **

**Please Enjoy!**

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**Sorrows of Tomorrow**

At this moment in time, Zoro wasn't sure how it happened. Before everything was fine, everything was going normally. Sanji was following around Robin who was with Chopper looking for books and Zoro was watching the boat, Nami was off with Luffy and Usopp with our 300,000,000 Beli and then-

Zoro pulled his hands through his hair, his head aching when he would pull strands free.

Then, something happened. Zoro didn't know how it had come to that – but it did.

_"__Merry can't be fixed," Luffy said, his had pulled down far enough to cast a shadow over his eyes._

The look in Usopp's eyes was that of betrayal, rage, sadness, grief, pain – altogether contorting his face.

Zoro shook his head, letting the memories fall away.

No one had wanted this – no one had wanted to say goodbye to the Going Merry, after all they had been through together. He was the bravest ship, no doubt about that.

But now—

_"__It can't be fixed," The square nosed shipwright said, pulling his hat lower. _

Zoro gritted his teeth together.

_"__Is it true Merry?" Zoro said, touching the mast gently. "Are you really going to…" _

Zoro shook his head again. It wasn't only the ship that was piercing his heart right now. The ship was special, yes, it was. Zoro loved this ship just as much as everyone else, but he couldn't be fixed. To Zoro, there was no point in fighting for something that couldn't be fixed it just created more heartache.

They needed a new ship. The journey with Merry had ended and he could take that. He could deal with that.

What he couldn't deal with was his captain's expression right now – tears streaming down his agonized face.

Zoro gripped the side of Merry, staring down at his captain and then at Usopp who lay defeated on the floor from the previous battle.

"It's heavy," He muttered, his voice shaking along with his small frame.

"That's your burden as captain," Zoro said. "Don't falter." _If you were to falter, _Zoro thought, _I'd be here for you. _He ground his teeth together, gripping Merry even harder. "If you do, then who will lead us?"

Luffy said nothing, the tears just falling faster.

He could feel a dull throbbing pain in his heart. He couldn't stand to see the captain – _his_ captain this way. All he wanted to do was capture the younger pirate in his arms and hold him. He felt that if he didn't, he would just crumble to the ground in pieces that no one could pick up.

_"__Good-bye, Usopp." Luffy said, walking closer towards the ship. "Up 'till now, it's been fun." _

_Fuck it, _Zoro thought, hopping off the boat and landing painfully on his foot. As soon as he landed though, he just continued, ignoring the sudden scorching pain in his ankle. He walked over to the younger man who looked up at him with red puffy eyes.

"Z—"

Zoro swiftly pulled Luffy to his chest, embedding one hand in his hair, the other around his shoulders.

Luffy, however, didn't return the hug nor cry into his shoulder. Zoro could feel with every ridged breath Luffy took, that he was holding everything in, his body still shaking slightly in the swordsman's grasp.

He heard the others begin to walk away. There was nothing that any of them could do.

That night, Zoro sat with Luffy alone in the men's quarters for the last time, the dim noise of washing and cleaning going on about the ship.

Luffy sat with his back to Zoro, completely unmoving. Zoro sat beside his back.

"You don't need to try and be strong." Zoro said. Luffy said nothing, just bowed his head and scrunched his hands on his crossed knees. "Especially in front of m—"

"It's because it's _you_." Luffy croaked out, his fists tightening until his knuckles whitened.

Zoro's eyes widened slightly. He ground his teeth together and they sat in silence for a moment.

Zoro then outstretched his arm and let his hand slap down over Luffy's eyes before he pulled him to his chest.

"Quit being so damn maudlin." Zoro snapped. "Who am I to you if you can't even cry in front of me?!"

"You did once...remember?" Luffy muttered weakly.

Zoro recalled that day with Mihawk when he had sworn never to lose again. He snorted. He didn't think that Luffy saw.

"So I have." His grip tightened on Luffy.

A small silence followed before Luffy brought his hands up pressed them against Zoro's forearm.

"It h-hurts so much Zoro…!" Luffy whimpered, holding back the choked sobs that wanted to rip from his throat.

"I know," Zoro whispered, feeling Luffy's hot tears against his palm.

"I-I don't want t-this…" He moaned, his voice cracking when he hiccupped. Zoro stared down, saying nothing. "Please make the pain go away," He begged, squeezing Zoro's arm until it hurt.

Zoro turned the young pirate around to face him, placing both hands on his shoulders. He lifted a hand and whipped a few tears away with a calloused thumb. Luffy shook his head, his body shaking violently.

"Once I start, I c-can't stop." He groaned, shoving both hands to his eyes and frantically rubbing the tears. Zoro pushed both of his hands away before cupping Luffy's cheeks.

The younger boy stared at the swordsman, confusion visible in his dark orbs. Zoro then leant forward, pressing his lips to Luffy's in a tender kiss. Luffy didn't return the kiss right away, too stunned to react; his body slowly began to stop shaking.

Zoro pulled back slightly, far enough to break the kiss but close enough that their noses touched. He then rubbed his nose affectionately against Luffy's.

He pulled back more then, so that he could gaze into his eyes. Zoro smiled slightly and lifted his hand, embedding it in Luffy's dishevelled hair.

"See," Zoro began. Luffy stared at him, his cheeks a light shade of pink, visible even in the dark.

"You stopped."

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**WHY USOPP!? *starts crying all over again* I-I hope you enjoyed... *sniff***


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